This invention is directed to providing a means for someone to topically apply a cream or lotion to the surface of their body, and in particular to provide an applicator system which allows someone to apply a liquid preparation or a therapeutic treating agent to hard to reach body parts without assistance from another person.
Recent medical evidence has verified the importance of applying some type of liquid preparation, such as a sun-screen, to the human body for topical treatment before or after exposure to the environment and/or physical activity. For example, applying a sun-screen prior to any exposure of the skin to the sun will helps reduce the risk of malignant tumors of the skin. The term sun-screen is used herein to identify any substance, such as para-aminobenzoic acid used in suntan lotion preparations, to protect the skin from excessive ultraviolet radiation.
A further protection against overexposure of the skin""s surface by the sun is realized by slowly obtaining a suntan using a tanning salon. The tanning salon is also used during the winter months when outside exposure is limited. Tanning salons use a liquid preparation having an xe2x80x9cacceleratorxe2x80x9d for relatively safe and rapid tanning. Salons have small cubicles where a tanning lamp is used along with the accelerator to get a suntan. Space is very limited and the accelerator must be placed on hard to reach areas of the body by the person getting the suntan.
A further need for an individual to apply a therapeutic body lotion to hard to reach body areas exist in locker rooms and shower facilities that support a sporting activity. Typical activities include tennis, golf, basketball, soccer, football and the like. Athletes take care of their own needs and the use of another person to apply a therapeutic lotion, such as Myoflex, Ben Gay and Sportscreme, would generally be considered to be strange behavior. An exception is the sports medicine professional that is treating injuries. The need exists for an applicator system that is easily accessible, ready to use, disposable and meets the therapeutic requirements of athletes within the locker room.
An important factor in applying a liquid preparation to the body is the convenience or ease of using the applicator system each time an application is anticipated. In particular, the storage, transporting, use and disposal of the various components are critical in promoting the convenience and benefit of an applicator system. In addition, the material used in making the components should be biodegradable for environmental reasons. The liquid preparation should also be nontoxic and soluble in water. A number of typical application system components of the art are discussed in the following paragraphs, along with the remaining problems not solved by the art.
Applicator strips for applying liquid preparations and soap to remote parts of the body are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,533,733; 3,959,841; 4,759,652; 5,251,990; 5,736,213; and 5,983,436. The applicator strips of these references disclose and claim some type of pocket, hole, loop or a clip at each end for the user""s hands and fingers for holding a cloth, rubber, plastic or fabric strip. The fabric cloth of ""733 and ""841 is folded and stitched together to form a strip. The flexible strip of ""990 depends on stretching the strip to force lotion from expanded bubbles of an artificial rubber portion of the strip. The lotion applicator ""213 patent has elastic loop handles and includes internal pockets. No disclosure of the biodegradable properties of the material used for making the strips was found.
Storage and transportation of an applicator system is critical for the convenience in having a liquid preparation available to apply to the body. A container for the applicator strip or strips must be easy to carry or easily accessible and provide an adequate shelf life for strips having volatile evaporating liquids. Transporting the applicator system from place to place may be necessary to provide liquid preparations protection when and where needed. The protection may be needed around the house, on a vacation or when simply taking a walk. The tanning salon or locker room container must be easily accessed by the user within the room where it is being used. Packaging either a single applicator strip or a number of strips may be desirable and/or cost effective.
The packaging of an applicator or a towelette is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,129,811; 5,745,949 and 5,915,394. A single applicator, sponge or towelette is folded a number of times in both edge directions to provide a compact size for placement in a package, container or envelope having an internal cavity and sealing the package or envelope until the applicator, sponge or towelette is needed. A single applicator having two layers was disclosed in the refreshing kit ""811 for cleaning and refreshing the skin by applying a fragrance. Neither of these references disclose packaging of multiple biodegradable applicators or towelettes, and the package or envelope does not have a handle for easy transportation.
The need to have multiple applicator strips dispensed from a single container is desirable and cost effective for multiple users and for frequent sun-screen applications. Packaging of multiple strips is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,101,026 and 4,817,790. Multiple folded towelettes or towelletes in rolls which have been pre-moistened are sealed in a reclosable container or pouch for dispensing one at a time through a feed slot or lid. Towelettes are folded prior to rolling the towelette in a roll to allow wider strips of a relatively short length typical of towelettes. The containers were not equipped with handles for easy transportation, and no discussion of biodegradable strips with multiple layers was apparent in these references.
The references lack the utility of an easily manufactured and used applicator strip for applying liquid preparations or treating agents that can be economically packaged and marketed for multiple applications as needed; then discarded without adverse environmental impact. The proper use and combination of materials is essential to provide an applicator system which will topically apply the preparation or agent with little effort. The use of pockets, sponges, end handles and the like should be eliminated to obtain a cost effective easily used product.
The need remains to have multiple elongated strips in a single resealible container with a means for easily transporting the container. The strips should be multi layered to allow retention of the liquid preparation or treating agent within the generally saturated layer when rolled or folded in the container. A layer is also required to provide strength and stability to the applicator strip when held in an extended position for applying preparations and agents to the remote parts of the body, such as the back.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a elongated applicator strip having adequate length and a relatively narrow width to be grasped by at both ends of the strip by the hands of a user for topically applying a liquid preparation or treating agent contained in the strip on remote parts of the user""s body.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an applicator strip which is laminated from two or three layers of material including at least one layer of a liquid absorbent material carrying a liquid preparation or treating agent and at least one layer of a relatively non-absorbent and impervious material to provide strength and dimensional stability to the applicator strip.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an applicator strip or strips comprising materials and non-toxic liquids or agents which are biodegradable when disposed of as waste or refuse after being used by the user.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container for an applicator strip or strips for receiving and storing the applicator strip or strips prior to being used and having an opening means for dispensing said strip or strips when the container is held by a handle in one hand and an applicator strip is pulled from the container using the other hand. Alternatively, a container can be mounted on a wall for easy access by multiple users, such as in a locker room or tanning salon.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a container for a single applicator strip within a container or a plurality of applicator strips disposed within a single container with an resealable opening in the container to individually access the applicator strips.
The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing an applicator system for storage and retrieval of applicator strips from a container to be used by an individual for applying a liquid preparation or treating agent to his or her own body surfaces. In particular, an elongated applicator strip is used to access remote body parts, such as the back of the user when applying a sun-screen. The applicator strips are sealed in the container until they are used to prevent the evaporation of the chemical preparation or agent contained therein. The applicator strips are laminated to include two or three layers. At least one first layer is an absorbent layer to receive and retain the preparation or agent. The first layer or layers may be embossed to be more absorbant. At least one second layer is relatively non-absorbent and provides strength and dimensional stability to the applicator strip. Preferably the laminated applicator strip includes two embossed and absorbant outer first layers and one dimensionally stable middle second layer.
The improved applicator system of this invention is suitable for many different types of liquid preparations or treating agents. The system may be used for applying and administering various mixtures of liquids and agents. These two alternate terms are used herein to both mean the chemical compound used in the absorbent first layer or layers which is transferred to the user""s body. A liquid preparation may be more applicable for a sun-screen and the like; where a treating agent may be more applicable for use in relieving a muscle pain or used as an accelerator. The structural configuration and design of the applicator strip depend on the nature of the preparation or agent. In particular, the number and relative location of the absorbent first layers and stabilizing second layers, depends on the physical properties of the preparation or agent. Design factors include insuring that ends of the applicator strip can be gripped and held while maintaining the same level of saturation as the remainder of the applicator strip. For example, with a highly viscous liquid preparation, the absorbent first should be located so that it becomes in direct contact with the user""s body to allow easy transfer of the viscous material to the body. In this case, at least one absorbent first layer should be to the outside of the applicator strip.
In one embodiment of the invention, an applicator system is provided for a user to topically apply a liquid preparation to remote areas of the user""s body. The applicator system comprises at least one elongated applicator strip having a plurality of layers and a pair of opposite free unobstructed ends. The opposite free ends to be gripped by a respective hand of the user for rubbing the applicator strip on the remote areas. At least one first layer of the plurality of layers is made of an absorbent material for receiving and retaining the liquid preparation until the applicator strip is rubbed on the remote areas by the user. At least one second layer of the plurality of layers is made of a material for providing strength and dimensional stability to the elongated applicator strip when the applicator strip is being held to apply the liquid preparation. The first and second layers are biodegradable when disposed of as refuse. A sealable container having a container cavity is provided for receiving and storing the at least one elongated applicator strip prior to being accessed by the user. An applicator strip is removed from the container and rubbed on the remote areas of the user""s body by the user, so that the remote areas are generally coated by the liquid preparation.
In one aspect of the invention, a handle is formed in the container for holding the container when removing an applicator strip from the container and for transporting the container from place to place. In another aspect the container has a hinged cover for accessing the applicator strip and a mounting bracket for attaching the container to a mounting surface.
In another embodiment of the invention, a process is claimed for providing an applicator system so that a user can topically apply a liquid preparation to remote parts of the user""s body. The process includes a first step of forming a container having a container body defining an accessible container cavity. The second step includes providing a container lid for the container with a hinged cap covering a cap opening in the container lid for sealing the container cavity. The third step includes fabricating an elongated applicator strip to include at least one absorbent first layer and at least one stabilizing second layer. The process includes a fourth step of perforating the elongated applicator strip widthwise to provide a plurality of applicator strips of a length usable for applying by hand the liquid preparation to the remote body parts. A fifth step includes partially saturating the absorbent first layer with the liquid preparation. In a sixth step the process includes rolling said elongated strip into at least one perforated roll. The seventh step includes removing the container lid and placing the perforated roll within the container cavity. The eighth step includes storing and sealing said perforated roll within the container cavity by placing the container lid on said container body. The process includes a ninth step of providing access to each applicator strip within the container cavity through said cap opening of said container.